Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  On 20th September 2009, I ran the Great North Run in support of Kidney Research UK.

 

Well, I did it - we all did!  Great effort all round, not just by the runners but by everybody involved including the organisers, charities, sponsors, supporting family and friends and all those 'others' who just turned out to cheer us on with words of encouragement, drinks, fruit, jelly babies (quite a few succumbed underfoot) even custard cream biscuits.

 

The weekend of the race started off by driving the family (wife, Helen, and kids, Mathilda and Alex) up to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon.  I was feeling fairly relaxed, although I must admit I had triple-checked that my trainers had gone into the boot of the car before we left.  The rest of my kit was there too but I knew I could survive without it, wear anything and still blend in with the other bizarrely dressed runners (for the record, during the race I saw various superheroes, firemen, squaddies in full kit, the Blues Brothers, Fred Flintstone, loads of fairies and flowers, beer kegs, kangaroos, Father Christmas, the Loch Ness Monster, a pile of poo running with a roll of toilet paper [Viz!] and girls running for the Bowel Cancer charity with exposed bottoms - fake, but it grabbed your [my] attention!)

 

My excitement began to mount as we progressed up the A1 (quite a volume of traffic).  Were all these people going to the race?  Quite possibly they were as there were over 54,000 starters.  We had been very kindly offered to be put up overnight by friends, Pete and Jude (and their son Robert who my daughter has a bit of a crush on), who live in Gosforth and it was there that we met up with Nix and Matt (and their son Hugo with whom my son loves to play).  Shortly afterwards Dave (the man!), Paul and Andrea arrived and we exchanged feelings on our 'pre-race status' - all of us in various states of nervous exhaustion so early nights all round were called for.

 

I slept like a top but we were all up early to give our 'light breakfast' (thee pain-au-chocolats in my case - thanks Jude!) a chance to go down.  I made sure I drank some juice and a glass of water - possibly a mistake as I needed to 'lose' it, long before the race started.  So, kit on and some sun-cream as the day was already shaping up to be hot.  Quick photo session on the doorstep before Pete whisked us off to the race start in the car (thanks Pete!).  A bit chilly on the over-bridge looking down on the starting 'pens' but what a sight!  Adrenaline starting to kick in now and I realise I need to lose some of that fluid.  Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one and (after dropping Dave's stuff on the baggage bus, to be transported to the finish - they've thought of everything) I had to suffer the ignominy of pee-ing into one of several what looked like green, plastic recycling bins but were in fact al fresco urinals for four.  Still, much easier for us blokes and poor Andrea had to join the massive queues for the porta-loos.

 

Right, down into the starting pens on the road surface - green pen for me (because I had foolishly stated that I could complete the run in 2.5 hours), pink for the others (final embraces, handshakes and calls of 'good luck') - and a bit of a wait for the race to get started.  Great atmosphere with big screens and huge speakers which were used to give us what must be one of the biggest warm-up and stretch exercise classes in the world - great stuff!  I was raring to go now but guess what?  I need to pee again!  Where was all this coming from?  With only minutes to go (the wheelchairs, ladies and elite men had already started - we were just waiting our turn) what to do?  Nothing else for it but to climb out of the pen, leg it up the embankment and drop trou' (well, shorts).  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's better!  Back into the pen and ready, finally (this scene was to be repeated by thousands for the next half-hour as we strolled up to the start line).  Approaching the start line, I can see Sting (looking more like David Bellamy with a fungus-amongous beard) standing on an island in the stream of runners, high-fiving some of his 'disciples'.  Not for me - my walk had quickened into a trot as I cross the line and I'm off!

 

I had decided to try to keep my pace down to my training speed of about 9-10 minutes per mile (as advised by our postman, Lionel, a champion fell-runner) and I reasoned it was better to finish with a spurt rather than risk not finishing at all.  Quite hard to run slowly when all around me speed off like greyhounds after the hare.  I was almost literally swept onwards by the throng.  So many people, all running different paces but all good-natured, savouring the moment.  Just a few well-wishers lining the road here which is difficult to access at this point (urban motorway).  Going through the tunnels was overwhelming though - the volume of noise and chants of "Oggy, oggy oggy" had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck.  Now for one of the most memorable bits of the race for me - coming out into sunshine and up and over the landmark Tyne bridge just as the Red Arrows flew overhead - fantastic!  Possibly a bit too much for some, as I started to overtake quite a few people here who were walking already (possibly started too fast).  Great drum band at the end of the bridge as we turn left towards Gateshead.  There were loads of bands all along the route and they really helped you along.

 

I won't recount the rest of the run, step by ever increasingly weary step.  It was hot, really hot and the official showers (tunnels spraying a fine mist of water) and unofficial showers (kind Geordies, standing on bus-shelters with garden hoses) were all, very gratefully received.  I kept an eye out for any other runners wearing Kidney Research shirts - not that many - but I made sure to touch them and give them an encouraging word as we passed.   Really hard to keep a rhythm going as the 'pack' never did really open up.  So many people so close together meant you just had to modify your pace or very carefully choose your route along the road, quite constricted in places especially at the water stations (no thanks to the blue/red 'drinks').  Anyway, suffice it to say, it felt uphill all the bloomin' way until we got to the sea.  What a welcome sight that was and here are the Read Arrows again in full display mode, right along the beachfront (my son Alex, waiting with my family at the finish line, enjoyed this bit the most).  No time to watch though - with less than a mile left to run it's head down and go for it-ish!

 

The finish gate is finally in sight, I'm through it and slowing, stumbling with all the rest (400 runners a minute across the line!).  Feels quite strange to be walking now, odd sensation which gradually reveals itself to be mainly - arggggh - pain!  I knew I had developed a blister on my right sole at around seven miles but that was nothing compared to the aching of my knees and hips (note to self: ensure any future training regime contains some element of road-running, not just nice, spongy moorland!).  I stagger down to the very welcoming hospitality tent, grab my goody-bag, take a number for a free massage (no extras - I asked!) and a surprisingly delicious cup-a-soup and bread roll.

 

Within minutes my family are there (slightly amazed that I'm there too but hiding it well) as are Pete, Jude, Nix, Matt all the kids and all of Dave, Andrea and Paul's other friends and family.  Quite an emotional moment!  Soon to become even more emotional (mutual shock foremost) as first Dave himself, Paul then Andrea arrive.  As it turned out, we could have tried to run together, all the way round, as our times were really very close, well under 3 hours.  You can see the details on this page (search by name):

 

http://www.greatrun.org/Results/Default.aspx

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